Amazing Acts of Nature...come on another walk with me through pictures. :)

I have made a few threads the past couple of years chronicaling my walks with pictures. I enjoy sharing my perspective with my friends here, and
encouraging people to take a little time to appreciate the little things. There is so much beauty everywhere in nature, but we tend to overlook most
it. Start looking UP...even look down every once in awhile. Look CLOSELY at something that you've never studied up close before. It's all there for
you, enjoy it!

In my other threads, I shared pictures from one walk at at time. I haven't been on ATS much this past year though, so have fallen behind. The
following pictures were taken over the past two months, all either from my backyard, or on my block while out on a walk. I have the privilege of
living next to the Skagit River in Washington State, so share my space with Bald Eagles, Red Tail Hawks and my neighbors Prairie Hawk. However, as
you can see from some of the pics, something as simple as the blue sky through trees, ice forming on grass or moss on a fence can be just as
mesmerizing.

Here you go...enjoy!!!! (These were all taken by me, with a Nikon 7000)

I would walk with you anywhere! Unbelievable to capture an exchange between two magnificent raptors like a bald eagle and a red tailed hawk, were you
out of your mind?? How did you keep from laughing and screaming??? I would have been so excited I seriously doubt I could have stayed still enough
to take pictures, WOW!!. The other pictures are lovely as well, you have a fine eye for details. Those pictures look exactly like what I see when
out walking here in the Ozarks.

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing. It is nice to see nature thriving this time of year. I also see how too many humans to not appreciate nature and take
everything for granted. Without cell phones, instant food and city public works most people would be SOOL!

Originally posted by Iamschist
I would walk with you anywhere! Unbelievable to capture an exchange between two magnificent raptors like a bald eagle and a red tailed hawk, were you
out of your mind?? How did you keep from laughing and screaming??? I would have been so excited I seriously doubt I could have stayed still enough
to take pictures, WOW!!. The other pictures are lovely as well, you have a fine eye for details. Those pictures look exactly like what I see when
out walking here in the Ozarks.

LOL...okay, have to share the story with you. I was taking advantage of the first sunny day in awhile, by sitting in my hot tub. I looked up and
there they were....what I thout at first were three eagles. I ran to the back door and asked my daughter to grab my camera bag.

I then stood for quite sometime in my backyard, camera to my eye trying to get that 'perfect' shot. I was barefoot ofcourse, trying to dodge dog
poop...and lets just say that towel wouldn't stay on. Any nosey neighbors would have gotten a view of my winter bikini.

When I got inside and started reviewig them, yes...I was literally hopping around whooping. I got the pictures of those rainbows at the SAME
time....literally turned around from watching the eagle, to see the rainbow behind me. I was EXCITED!!!!

The camer is a Nikon D7000 (Digital SLR) most of these I just had on auto, but the pics of the prairie hawk (close ups) I messed up and had a very
high ISO setting of 6400. I had been taking some inside shots of my cat earlier and was playing around with the settings. Forgot to change it back
(rookie mistake), so that is why the background looks grainy. I supose I could lie and say it was intentional.

My lens for the eagles and rainbow was a 55m-300m zoom lense with the vibration control (so hand-held turns out better) All these were hand-held, no
tripod.

I just got this camer for christmas, my one prior (and what all my previous pics posted were taken with) was a Nikon D40. I still love my old camera
and am more comfortable with it because I used it for several years. I was only a 6megapixal though so I was limited in enlargements. Now...contrary
to some belief, that is still more than enough for most enlargements, but as you can see I take a whole lotta landscape and wildlife so I end up
needing to crop even with the 300M, so I loose too much detail. The D7000 allows me to get away with a lot more and then it will also work much
better for my other needs....such as action/sports photos of the kids with poor lighting. It is pricey though, which is why I waited for so long to
get it. I cost is an issue, go with a cheaper model like the D40 or something...still a great camera,and so long as you have nice lenses, will do a
lot for you.

ETA: just for fun, here is the kitty photo I took...playing around with the indoor/flashless pics

How beautiful! I especially love the close-ups of the hawk, you have a great eye.
I'm a bit jealous, I tried nature photography last summer by chasing a butterfly around with my ipad for 20 minutes.
Needless to say, it was not successful.

Do you have any tips for someone that is getting the photography bug and after this thread fairly convinced he wants to get into it? Did you take any
classes? I have a $400 canon and frankly it confuses me. What's the learning curve like for being able to set all the adjustments? My problem is
that when I start reading about it my eyes glaze over. I should probably try to find a local club and learn by doing.

Oh and without getting too specific what general area were these taken? West coast is best coast. I really wat to get some shots of the mountains
but they always turn out like crap.

Do you have any tips for someone that is getting the photography bug and after this thread fairly convinced he wants to get into it? Did you take any
classes? I have a $400 canon and frankly it confuses me. What's the learning curve like for being able to set all the adjustments? My problem is
that when I start reading about it my eyes glaze over. I should probably try to find a local club and learn by doing.

Oh and without getting too specific what general area were these taken? West coast is best coast. I really wat to get some shots of the mountains
but they always turn out like crap.

edit on 16-2-2013 by Domo1 because: (no reason given)

You know I am the worst student too. When I got the manual to this camera, I swear my eyes glazed over before I even opened it up! I still haven't
looked through half of it. I don't understand a whole lotta settings still. I am a learn as I go person, so I proabably have some untapped
potential because of it. I will tell you though, in the three years that I got my first Nikon D40 and started just learning through using it, i could
clearly see an improvement in my composition and general eye for things. I have always liked photography and took a couple a classes in school, but
that was with 35mm film. A little of that applies with a digital camera, but a whole lot of it is different. That dragonfly was with my D40, so I
really think that while equipment can make a difference in perhaps a more professional level, finished product, most of it just has to do with your
eye and timing for capturing things. You can take several people. give them the same camera and item to photograph. It's all in their ability to
see it a certain way. If you love taking pictures, I have a feeling you can learn to use any camera, either given the time or instruction. Just
don't give up, have fun with it and try different things.

My neighbors have seen me running down the street in slippers (sun pillar shot), in my yard in my bikini (eagles), laying in my driveway with a moth
on my toe (really cool pic), running through corn fields and sneakin up on flocks of geese. My kids have kinda gotten used to it, but I am one of
those people that will just lay down on the ground and look stupid in public to get the right angle.

You have a great eye Westcoast. I have a Rebel XSi, and I carry it with me most everywhere I go. I've thought about doing a thread like this, but I
must say, I'm humbled by the talent on ATS. Thanks for sharing your art, and your eye with us. S&F.

Thanks for the reply. You got me motivated to try again! Good to know you got the glazed over effect just handling the manual too. I'm going to
charge my camera and see if I can't get some cool shots tomorrow when I go for a hike. WA is gorgeous and so often I want to start shooting
pictures. Problem is the camera always seems to be on the wrong setting. One of my few redeeming qualities is having a a good eye, but that doesn't
help when I'm too dumb to take off the lens cap.

Really breathtaking pictures and I'm not one to BS. Another poster said the first picture with the trees was creepy, I thought it was awesome and
really captured a certain feeling I get when I'm out walking and look up at the sky. I'd really like to be able to get the correct things in focus
and snap a picture when the sunlight hits the trees around here and gives them that beautiful golden glow. My favorite time of day.

Keep posting pictures! You have a real talent and it's nice to take a break from aliens, politics and Nibiru and just revel in natures splendor for
a few moments.

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